Thumbs up for Cityheart’s Cheers & Smith workspace

The former Metropolitan Girls School off Stockport’s Greek Street will become a flexible workspace for freelancers and start-ups under the developer’s in-house brand.

Stockport Council approved the scheme, and the Cheers & Smith offices will sit alongside the three residential blocks being built at Stopford Park, comprising 442 homes.

Work to refurbish the grade two-listed building is expected to start imminently, with contractors BAR Preservation and Oak Construction Projects on board to deliver designs by Project 3 Architects.

Sheila Bird Studio will be charged with the interior design of the Cheers & Smith workspace, and the team hopes to be finished and ready for custom within 12 months.

The workspace will be set across four floors: the lower ground, ground, first, and second floors.

Cheers & Smith will slot into Cityheart’s £120m GDV 442-home Stopford Park neighbourhood, found within the 130-acre Town Centre West regeneration district, being developed by the Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation.

Greg Ball, development director at Cityheart, said: “We’re making great progress at Stopford Park, and this milestone is another exciting step on that journey.

“Cheers & Smith will bring real energy back into this much-loved building. It’s a space that has always been about creativity and collaboration, and now it has the chance to be exactly that again.”

Sheila Bird Studio will lead on interior design. Credit: via Roland Dransfield

Cllr Mark Roberts, Leader of Stockport Council, said: “Our UK-leading town centre regeneration is about more than building new homes, it’s about breathing new life into Stockport’s heritage and giving our historic buildings a future.

“Cheers & Smith is a brilliant example of that. This much-loved landmark will once again buzz … bringing people together and creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs, freelancers, and businesses.

“It’s fantastic to see another of our heritage assets being reimagined for the 21st century as part of a town centre that offers a true mix of homes, jobs, and leisure, along with better healthcare and transport links to benefit everyone across our borough.”

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Jon Humphreys, co-owner and creative director of Shelia Bird Studio, added: “This milestone isn’t just about restoring a building; it’s about reigniting its spirit. Cheers & Smith has always carried the energy of the makers who came before, and now it’s ready for a new generation to leave their mark.

“The vision is to let its history guide its rebirth, to create a space that feels alive with ideas, collaboration, and the kind of raw creative energy that built Stockport in the first place.”

Layer.studio has led on landscaping and public realm design, and Renaissance, Crookes Walker Consulting, and BB7 Fire Engineering all assisted Cityheart with its application to the local authority.

The application can be viewed using the reference number DC/095725 on Stockport Council’s planning portal.